1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to head/neck supports for mounting on motor vehicle seat back.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,082 discloses a head rest adapted to be mounted on the top of a back rest of a seat comprising a pillow body supported on a U-shaped frame the ends of which are mounted on a shaft which is itself mounted on two bracket members which have dependent clamping members for engaging over the seat back. In order to adjust the frame to a plurality of tilted positions, a latch mechanism is provided having an arcuate member fixed to one of the bracket members and provided adjacent its periphery with a plurality of holes adapted to be selectively engaged by a latch pin on one arm of the frame member. A pin projecting from one end of the spindle carries an abutment which engages the limb of the frame member on which the detent is formed so that by depressing the pin, the limb of the frame member is bent slightly and the detent is released from the arcuate plate to permit the head rest to be adjusted.
The arrangement described suffers from a number of dis-advantages. Firstly and most seriously, the head rest frame is locked against rotation adjacent one end only leaving the other end free to pivot and so if the passenger's head were forced rapidly back against the head rest, the head rest would merely twist and would not provide adequate restraint. Also the pillow enclosing the frame has to be provided with a slit extending into one end of the pillow to provide access to the head of the pin for releasing the locking mechanism and the stretching of the pillow to enable the user's hand to be inserted into the slit is likely to damage the pillow after a period of use. Finally the arrangement of clamping members fitting over the seat back do not provide a rigid support for the head rest which would be capable of withstanding the backward whiplash movement of a passenger's head which can occur in the event of a crash.
The object of the applicant's invention is therefore to provide a construction in which a head/neck support for a vehicle seat is capable of withstanding the backward whiplash movements of a passenger's head in the event of a crash and is also capable of easy adjustment in a manner which is not likely to cause undue wear and tear to the upholstered part of the support.